[Contemporary approaches to diagnosis and management of chronic heart failure (summary of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines)]. / Sovremennye podkhody k diagnostike i lecheniiu khronicheskoi serdechnoi nedostatochnosti (izlozhenie Rekomendatsii Amerikanskoi kollegii kardiologov i Amerikanskoi assotsiatsii serdtsa 2001 g.).

ACC/AHA Guidelines for the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Heart Failure in the Adult are summarized in detail. According to statements of these Guidelines most patients with chronic heart failure as a rule should receive combination of representatives of 4 different drug classes - diuretic, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, beta-adrenoblocker and usually digoxin. Special indications have been formulated for inclusion in complex therapy of aldosterone receptor blockers (first of all spironolactone), angiotensin1 receptor blockers and direct vasodilators (hydralazine, isosorbide dinitrate).

[Preventing of stroke by antihypertensive drugs: potential and limitations]. / Profilaktika mozgovogo insul'ta s pomoshch'iu antigipertenzivnykh preparatov: vozmozhnosti i ogranicheniia.

Analysis of controlled randomized studies of efficacy of antihypertensive drugs in primary and secondary prevention of stroke is presented. Basing on this analysis a conclusion is made that in patients with hypertension representatives of all 4 main classes of antihypertensive drugs prevent stroke with similar efficacy. Magnitude of reduction of risk of both first and recurrent stroke is determined not by the class of a drug but by degree of blood pressure lowering. Special emphasis is made on necessity of careful approach to blood pressure lowering in elderly patients.